B-52 to be in service for over 100 years

[ThomasP]

Interesting article on the plans for the USAF bomber force:

"The new B-52: How the Air Force is prepping to fly century-old bombers"

 

[fannum]

Note the C-130 Herc will also remain in service with a similar entry date, and it's still in production!

Also still in production is the H-47 Chinook, not far behind in initial service date.

 

[Sabrejet]

I doubt many 1961-vintage C-130s will be in service in 2061. But if the BUFFs are still around, they will all be of that age.

 

[Denniss]

A good base design, properly upgraded, may be in production for a long time. Especially if that's cheaper than a complete redesign.

 

[ThomasP]

I wonder how old the oldest F-4 Phantom airframes still flying are?

 

[fannum]

I realize this site is the home ground of parsers and nit pickers, but take into account that the B-52s have had at least five major overhauls, affecting all structure and systems.
It's like George Washington's hatchet ... the handle's been replaced 11 times, and the head 3, but it's still the same hatchet.
I find it remarkable that ANY design is still in use after a century, military or otherwise, and shouldn't be diminished by any "My argument's bigger than your argument" quibbling.

 

[MIflyer]

Back around 1976 at Tinker AFB I was examining a Boeing drawing of a B-52 part to see if it contained the data required for use to procure some examples for spare parts. Then I stood up and announced to my mostly much older colleagues that I was unqualified to proceed with the task. The date on the drawing was before I was born.

 

[fannum]

Back around 1976 at Tinker AFB I was examining a Boeing drawing of a B-52 part to see if it contained the data required for use to procure some examples for spare parts. The date on the drawing was before I was born.

Throughout its service life, the B-52 fleet went through countless updates and mods, and replacement parts had to be matched not just to the model (ala B-52A, B, C, etc.) but the production block # and often the a/c serial #. Even then, techs had to compare parts as record keeping often lagged in those pre-computer days.
My father was a SAC base supply officer for the Wing at Barksdale, and it drove him nuts. He did a good job, and the only way he escaped LeMay's clutches was to get accepted to Command and Staff School.
Shortly after that around '60/61, as a newly minted pilot willing and eager to fly anything that someone would let me and pay for the AvGas, I was on call to fly for Slick Quick Trans out of San Antonio. They contracted to SAC to deliver mission critical parts for their B-52s and KC-135s. We flew fast Aero Commanders, Cessna 310s, P-51s, a P-38, and even two Mosquitos.
The overhaul depot (for J-57s and other B-52 systems) was at Lackland/Kelley maintenance complex, and they'd build components to spec within hours to meet the urgent needs, and we'd deliver. Otherwise, we'd fly to say Dyess, pick up a part, and deliver to Minot in a matter of hours.
A great way to build flight time. Tom Slick was offered some surplus T-33s, but found the WWII recips cheaper to operate, with better range, and overall, faster point to point. (115/145 was $.30/gal)
Alternator/generator/charging systems were especially diverse, far from standardized, and hard to stock at a base level.

 

[SaparotRob]

Throughout its service life, the B-52 fleet went through countless updates and mods, and replacement parts had to be matched not just to the model (ala B-52A, B, C, etc.) but the production block # and often the a/c serial #. Even then, techs had to compare parts as record keeping often lagged in those pre-computer days.
My father was a SAC base supply officer for the Wing at Barksdale, and it drove him nuts. He did a good job, and the only way he escaped LeMay's clutches was to get accepted to Command and Staff School.
Shortly after that around '60/61, as a newly minted pilot willing and eager to fly anything that someone would let me and pay for the AvGas, I was on call to fly for Slick Quick Trans out of San Antonio. They contracted to SAC to deliver mission critical parts for their B-52s and KC-135s. We flew fast Aero Commanders, Cessna 310s, P-51s, a P-38, and even two Mosquitos.
The overhaul depot (for J-57s and other B-52 systems) was at Lackland/Kelley maintenance complex, and they'd build components to spec within hours to meet the urgent needs, and we'd deliver. Otherwise, we'd fly to say Dyess, pick up a part, and deliver to Minot in a matter of hours.
A great way to build flight time. Tom Slick was offered some surplus T-33s, but found the WWII recips cheaper to operate, with better range, and overall, faster point to point. (115/145 was $.30/gal)
Alternator/generator/charging systems were especially diverse, far from standardized, and hard to stock at a base level.

COOL!

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Back around 1976 at Tinker AFB I was examining a Boeing drawing of a B-52 part to see if it contained the data required for use to procure some examples for spare parts. Then I stood up and announced to my mostly much older colleagues that I was unqualified to proceed with the task. The date on the drawing was before I was born.

The H-model BUFFs at Carswell were older that I was.

 

[SaparotRob]

The B-52 and I entered service the same year. I hope I make it to the B-52's retirement.

 

[MIflyer]

Throughout its service life, the B-52 fleet went through countless updates and mods

Just about the first thing I did in the USAF was to go through a list of recent mods to the B-52 and check to see if the technical orders had been updated. Just that list equated to about $100K per aircraft.